Slicing ball off tee

So, have noticed that my DD's swing off the tee has a slice to it. If you stand behind her and she hits to CF, it curves a little to the right.

Is a little slice OK and indicative of an inside-out swing?

Or does it more likely mean she's coming a little across the ball and not through it?

For a RH batter, a left-to-right ("slice") curve indicates side spin. The spin would be caused by the bat coming across the ball (right-to-left) during contact.

CoogansBluff said:

So, have noticed that my DD's swing off the tee has a slice to it. If you stand behind her and she hits to CF, it curves a little to the right.

Is a little slice OK and indicative of an inside-out swing?

Or does it more likely mean she's coming a little across the ball and not through it?

Click to expand...

All a guess with out video....

she's coming a little across the ball and not through it?

Click to expand...

Example would be....A right hand hitter who tries to pull an outside pitch and the ball goes to right field. The ball will be sliced/slicing to right field. I'm guessing that your DD hands are inside the ball but, your DD could be hitting 'around' her body and not 'out from'. That could be the difference of squaring the ball to slicing the ball.

Hi CoogansBluff,

What you've described is very common with young right-handed hitting athletes who may, or may not be taught to be too rotational in their hitting approach. In my opinion, a great swing must include developing both linear and rotational mechanics. In my experience, a slice from center to right is the result of a bat path which rotates (slices) through the hitting zone too early to incorporate a good linear drive. Many times, it can be as simple as the front shoulder (and head) pulling or rotating too early, taking the bottom hand with it, creating the slicing bat path through the hitting zone. The batter may also be stepping "into the bucket", or pulling out the front foot toward 3rd base in the swing process, which also can take the bottom hand with it and creating the same effect. The result is the overwhelming amount of lazy fly balls to 1st base that are hit off of the end of the bat.

Grab a tee & keep it simple. You'll concentrate on drills which promote more linear drive to contact (promoting keeping the front shoulder and front foot linear rather than "pulling out" prior to contact), then rotational at or around that contact point. You're working for a result that promotes a more linear bat path that keeps the fat part of the barrel in the contact zone for a longer period of time.

A drill example is as easy as setting up the tee in the position of an outside pitch, deep contact location. Your daughter concetrates on line drives through the gap between 1st and 2nd via the sweet spot. The result should develop a more linear approach to contact, before full rotation and finish.

Now, if she's a left-handed slapper, some earlier rotation isn't so bad...

Chris

I thought this thread was going to be about my golf swing!

CoogansBluff,

Just to clarify...

My reference to the "linear mechanics" element of a good swing is definitely NOT defined by the video provided in another thread, using the trowel hand path. I can't remember witnessing anything like that, even with the most elementary youth players.

When I mention "linear", it's generally just good athletic posture, focusing on north & south orientation. Of course, there can be a certain small % of deviation. Examples would include stride, front shoulder, chin, etc.